Linden Foods fined £25,000

A Northern Ireland meat processing company has been fined £25,000 after an employee was left with life-changing injuries following an industrial accident.

Linden Foods of Dungannon admitted breaches of health and safety legislation during a hearing before Omagh Crown Court on 6 July.

The court heard that, in February 2010, a stack of heavy pallets fell on to the top of forklift truck driver Lucas de Costa, 32, causing him such serious head injuries that he is now confined to a nursing home in a semi-paralysed state.

An investigation by safety officers then discovered that the truck de Costa was driving did not have correct overhead protection and that there had been confusion over the type and shape of pallets that were being moved.

In mitigation, it was said that the company had spent £75,000 on upgrading safety at the plant.

It was also added that liability had been admitted in civil proceedings and that de Costa’s wages were still being paid to him.